Feeding mechanism for sewing-machines



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F. T. LEILIOH. FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

No 404,358. Patented m 28, 1889.

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No. 404,358. Patented May 28, 1889.

3 Sheets-Sheet a (No Model.)

F T LEILIGH FEEDING MECHANISM FOR. SEWING MACHINES.

Patented May 28, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS T. LEILICH, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTlCUT.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWlNG-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 404,358, dated May 28, 1889.

Application filed February 12, 1889. Sen'al No. 299,653. (No model.)

for Sewing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in feeding mechanismfor sewing machines, but is particularly adapted for use upon machines designed for stitching at high rates of speed.

The object of my invention is to furnish a feeding organization which shall be simple in construction, light running in its operation, adjustable for wear, and accurate and easy in changing from one length of stitch to another, and in which the four motions described by the feed-dognamely, forward, downward, backward, and upward-shall be effected by positively-operating devices; and with these ends in view my invention consists in the details of construction and combination of mechanical elements, hereinafter to be fully and in detail set forth, and then recited in the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may more fully understand its construction and mode of operation, I will describe the same in detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which* Figure 1 is a plan view of such parts as lie beneath the bed-plate, which latter is shown in dotted lines; Fig. 2, an elevation of the feed-bar and means for operating the same, the parts being projected from the same parts as shown at Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detail elevation, partly in section, of the feed-shafts and their connection with the main shaft; Fig. 4, a detail end elevation of the lever which operates the feed-driving rock-shaft; Fig. 5, a similar view of the lever whereby the feed-lifting shaft is operated; Fig. 6, a detail section showing a modified form of bearing for the levers; Fig. 7, a detail elevation of the feeddriving lever and feed-regulator, the parts being arranged to make a very short stitch. They are shown as at the completion of the stitch. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, but with the parts as at the beginning of the stitch; Fig. 9, a similar view showing parts in position for making the longest stitch, the extent of throw being indicated in dotted lines; Fig. 10, a detail side elevation, partly in section, showing the fork and its connections to the feed-driving lever and the feeddriving shaft, respectively.

Like numerals denote the same parts in all the figures.

1 is the feed-bar, upon which is mounted the serrated feed-dog 2, and which at its rear end is pivoted between the ends of a pair of arms, 3, whose lower ends are secured to a v rock-shaft, 4. This rock-shaft has its bearings in brackets 5 at the under side of the bed. At the other end of the bar are arranged a pair of slide blocks or rollers, 6 7, which project outward from said bar-one upon either sideand these rollers are engaged, respectively, by forked rock-arms 8 9, the former on a shaft, 10, whereby the horizontal reciprocation is imparted to said bar and the latter upon the shaft 11, from which the said bar receives its vertical movement.

For the reason that the vertical motion of the feed bar and dog is constant the axial throw of the shaft 11 is always the same, and this movement it derives from a pivoted lever, 12, Whose lower end is forked, and embraces a stud on a short arm, 13, of said rockshaft, and whose upper extremity, also forked, is engaged and operated by a wiper-cam, 14, secured on the main shaft 15 of the machine.

Near its rear end the rock-shaft 10, which, as heretofore stated, imparts to the feed-bar its horizontal throw, has projecting therefrom a short rock-arm, 16. This arm is pivoted by a stud, 17, (see Figs. 3 and 10,) to a swinging grooved block, 18, which latter is fast upon a sleeve, 18, pivoted by a screw, 18, to the end of a short shaft, 19. At one end of this shaft, and'at right angles thereto, is a cranked arm, 20, which is pivoted to the bed of the machine, as at 21. This arrangement permits the cranked arm to be moved about its pivotal point, carrying with it the shaft, sleeve, and block, and it also permits the sleeve and grooved block to have amovement about the shaft as an axis. The purpose of this will be presently apparent.

22 is an actuating-lever having its f ulerumpoint at or near its center. Its upper extremity is engaged and actuated by a wipercam, 24, and its lower extremity is provided with a slide block or roller, 25, which projects into the groove in the block 18. (See Figs. 3 and 10.) The movement of the lever 22 through the engagement of the stud with the groove in the block serves to reciprocate said block in the are of a circle about the screw upon which it is journaled. The movement thus acquired by the block is in turn imparted thereby to the arm 16 and shaft 10.

Projecting from the shaft 19 is a short arm, 26, to whose extremity is secured a connection, 27, which in its turn is pivotallysecured to a crank, 28, from which latter an arm, 29, extends upward and outward through the arm of the machine, (see Fig. 3,) and is provided with an index and a binding-screw.

So far as the mechanism which imparts to the feed bar and dog their appropriate vertical movements is concerned but little explanation will be needful, since it is obvious that the movement of the pivoted lever derived from the cam 011 the main shaft is simply transmitted to the rock-shaft 11, and thence through the fork 9 to the bar.

In the operation of the feed-driving mechanism the camactuated lever 22, through the engagement of its roller with the grooved block, causes the latter, as heretofore explained, to reciprocate about its bearing on the shaft 19, and such motion as the block receives it transmits to the rock-arm 16 and the shaft 10, whence the feed-bar is driven.

Of course the more nearly at right angles the lever imparts its motion to the grooved block the greater are will be described by the latter about its center and the greater throw will be imparted to the feed-bar. On the other hand, the more nearly the length of the grooved block is disposed at right angles to the length of the lever the less movement will said block acquire about its axis and the more the roller will slide lengthwise of the groove.

By means of the index-pointer and the parts lettered 26 27 28 29 the crank maybe turned about its pivotal point on the bed, carrying with it the shaft and the grooved block. The latter may therefore be turned to nearly a right angle with the driving-lever, (see Figs. 7 and 8,) when the roll on the latter will impartbut slight movement to the fork by reason of its travel in the direction of the length of the groove; or, as seen at Figs. 9 and 10, the block may be turned until its length is in line with the length of the lever, and the movement of the latter will be at right angles to the length of the groove, thereby carrying the block through a greater are. As the feed-dog receives movement directly in proportion as the block vibrates through a greater or a lesser arc, and as the block is capable of arrangement from right angles to said lever to coincidence with said lever.-about ninety degreesit is obvious that the throw of the feed-dog will be greater or less as the angle between the block and lever is less or greater.

In my invention Ido not wish to be confined to the exact details of construction which I have herein shown and described, since many minor changes entirely within the province of mechanical skill may be made therein witl1- out departing from the spirit and aim of my invention.

As an instance, equivalent means might be employed for turning the block-shaft about its pivotal point, or the pointer might be caused to move upon a vertical index.

I claim- 1. In a feeding mechanism for sewing-machines, the combination, with the main shaft,

of the feed-lifting lever fulcrumed near its center, a cam engaging and actuating said lever at its upper end, and the feed-lifting rockshaft positively operated by said lever, the cam-actuated feeding-lever fulcrumed near its center, the feed-driving rock-shaft and feed-bar, and the vibratory grooved block arranged between the lever and the shaft and movable to different positions relative to the lever, whereby diiferent degrees of movement are transmitted to and from said block, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination,with the feed-bar, the feed-lifting rock-shaft, and the pivoted lever for actuating the latter, of the feed-driving lever fulcrumed near its center and positively cam-actuated about said fulcrum, the feeddriving rock-shaft and its connection to the feed-bar, the pivoted grooved block engaged by the lever and in turn engaging the feeddriving rock-shaft, and means, as described, whereby the shaft to which the block is sccured may be turned to different angles of inclination, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the feed-bar and the means, as described, whereby the same is properly raised and lowered, of the main shaft, the cam actuated fulcrnmed lever driven therefrom and provided with a roller at its lower end, the block engaged by said roller and journaled on a cranked shaft, the rock-shaft 10, actuated by said block, and a suitable rod and index, whereby said cranked shaft may be turned to various positions relative to its fulcrum, as set forth.

4. The combination, with the feed-bar and the lever and the rock-shaft,whereby said bar is positively raised and lowered, of the feeddriving lever pivoted near its center, the cam 011 the main shaft, whereby it is actuated, the stud upon the lower end of said lever, the block engaged by said stud, and the adjustable shaft on which said block is journaled,

the rock-shaft actuated by said block through the arm, and the connection between the forward end of said rock-shaft and the feed-bar, substantially as specified.

5. The combination, with the feed-bar and means for imparting to the same the necessary vertical reciprocation, and with the feeddriving lever, the feed-driving rock-shaft, and the connection of the latter with the feed-bar, of a grooved block pivotally secured to a mov- 5 able shaft, means for movingsajd shaft to various positions relative to its fulcrum, a connection between the driving-lever and said block, and a connection between said block and the rock-shaft, as specified.

1o 6. The combination, with the feed-bar, of the fulcrumed oscillating link whereon one end of said bar is mounted, the slide-blocks projecting outward from the opposite sides of the other end of the bar, the two rock-shafts 5 actuated from the other end of the machine,

and the two forked arms upon saidshafts embracing the slide-blocks, the one lying in a horizontal and the other in a vertical plane and at the same end of the bar, substantially 20 as set forth, whereby the appropriate compound movement is imparted to the feed-bar.

7 In a feeding mechanism for sewing-machines, the combination, with the main shaft and the cam mounted thereon and carried thereby, of the vibrating lever fulorumed at 25 its center and forked at each end, the upper end being operated by the cam, the fulcrumed and grooved adjustable vibratory block operated by the lower end of the lever, the feeddriving rock-shaft operated from said block, 0 and means, as described, for imparting to the feed-bar its proper rising-and-falling movement, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS T. LEILIOH Q. 

